Saying that taxes and fees have increased enough already, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Friday morning that she will veto about $60 million in fee increases that were passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature.

The increases would have included across-the-board hikes in every motor vehicle fee, including cars, motorcycles, hearses, taxis, and recreational trailers.

Rell had sent a letter to top legislators warning them against the hikes, but some lawmakers were still unsure of her position until she spoke to reporters after the State Bond Commission meeting.

"I will veto the revenue bill which contains about $60 million in fees over the next two years,'' Rell told reporters. "We are not going to accept this fee increase.''

While $60 million in fees would be increased, about $10 million would be decreased in various categories, including repealing a hike for licensed practical nurses. As such, the net fee increase would be about $50 million over two years.

The fee increases did not pass by a veto-proof margin in the state Senate. Sen. Joan Hartley, a conservative Democrat from Waterbury who has often broken with her party on fiscal matters, joined with the Republicans in opposition to the hikes. The measure had passed, 23 to 12, Thursday in the Democratic-controlled chamber.

In other matters, the third day of the legislature's special session on budget-implementation bills that was scheduled for Friday has been cancelled.

House Republican leader Larry Cafero of Norwalk had complained that many legislators were sitting around all day on Thursday as top leaders negotiated changes in bills behind closed doors. The floor debate in the House was originally set for 3 p.m., but was then postponed to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The debate did not actually start until many hours later, and the House passed only two bills - one that would implement budget decisions on public health and another on human services.

While Rell will veto the fee increases, she will sign three other bills. One would prompt the most sweeping realignment of the state's probate court system in more than 300 years. The current 117 courts would be consolidated into 54 courts, including a probate district in Litchfield County that will include 12 small towns.

Hartford, East Hartford, and West Hartford will remain as one-town districts. Others, however, will be joined with other towns. Simsbury, for example, will be joined with Avon, Canton, and Granby for a four-town district.

Rell will also sign the $2.4 billion bond package and a non-controversial land conveyance bill that received overwhelming support in the General Assembly during the two-day special session this week. Overall, the Senate passed four bills: Rell will veto one and sign three.

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14 Comments

Uh. Didn't Governor Rell propose raising fees instead of raising taxes on millionaires? If Rell had agreed to a more comprehensive and more fair tax package then fees would never have had to increase. The millionaire's tax she finally approved was too little too late as it turns out. The public overwhelmingly supports raising taxes on the wealthy.

Why is she vetoing this? i think a drivers license costs like 87.00 (honestly not sure) and is good for something like 6 years? All of these fee increases can be afforded by people and seem to me much more fair than doubling state park admissions and some of the other fee increases in the budget. What makes these fees so different than all the others she 'allowed' to become law?

Rell is again "fighting for the wealthy"? The DMV fee increases actually hurt the POOREST folks the most. It's the poor people who have to fork over a greater share of their income to keep a vehicle on the road. Moreover, the majority of people in this state DO NOT support raising taxes of any kind. They would much rather see the size of state govt. shrunk.

Why do I get the feeling that Rell represents "us"...the citizens of Connecticut, and the legislators represent "someone else". I don't know who that "someone else" is...but it sure isn't me, or any other taxpayer in this state. I guess the democrat legislators represent the State of Connecticut employees, because they're the only ones that benefit from these fee and tax increases.

The reason Rell won’t agree to raise DMV fees is because everyone goes to the DMV. The increase will remind voters, everyday, of how ineffective and rudderless the Rell administration is. Only to be rivaled by the feckless and myopic Dem leadership.